Toll revenue from I-95/395 HOT lanes could be used to make biking better

VDOT Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) is planning to extend the I95/395 HOT lanes north to the Pentagon in order to reduce congestion in the corridor, improve safety and give more choice to travelers. [The Draft EA for this was just completed]. The toll revenue from those lanes will be directed several places, including an annual transit payment, sound wall construction and, most notably, at least $15 million a year for Transportation Demand Management initiatives.

Eligible projects will increase mobility and move more people along I-95 and I-395 and benefit toll payers in the I-395 corridor.

Example projects:

− Enhanced service to existing routes

− New local and commuter bus service

− Transit capital (bus and rail) projects

− Park and ride lots

− TDM program enhancements

There is nothing specifically suggesting bicycling initiatives in the corridor, but TDM funding has paid for, or been suggested to pay for, bicycle projects in the past. Things like bicycle parking at transit and bikeshare stations are examples.

Work on the Transit/TDM study began in April and tomorrow night there will be a public Open House to discuss the status of the Study.

The public Open House will be from 5 :30 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, September 21, at Alexandria City Hall, (301 King St.) in the Sister Cities Conference Room (room 1101).

The purpose of the I-95/I-395 Transit/TDM Study is to develop a comprehensive list of transit and TDM projects that would be eligible for funding from revenues generated by the I-395 Express Lanes Extension project.... DRPT staff will be in attendance at the Open House to answer questions.

If you can't go, perhaps you can fill out the survey.

As part of the study, DRPT has developed a survey to gather information about transit and TDM needs along the I-395/I-95 corridor. Regular commutes in this corridor are encouraged to take the survey.

One other impact of note. It does appear from the map of sound wall construction that a wall will be built on the south side of I-95 where the Four Mile Run Trail and I-95.

This doesn't seem as bad as the deal for I-66 widening. They sold it similar to benefit transit and bicycling, but the amount of money being spent on adding one lane which is only 4 miles costs about a 130 million(?), compared to 10 million or so which we might get for transit and bicycling over a number of years. seems like a sacrifice to cars to me.

We already get a lot of chatter about highway $ being diverted to bikes, peds, transit. This lets drivers think that they are getting a raw deal and its biker's fault whenever the road are in bad shape.

I'd rather keep the $ separate, and make the cars pay for their use. This will make the costs clearer and advance the public debate much better.

The tolls are going to be set to keep the HOT lanes free flowing, IIUC. That is likely going to generate more funds than required for the HOT lanes project. It makes sense to use them for other things that will address congestion in the corridor, and that will balance the increase in auto capacity.

Also since the HOT lanes provide capacity that is free to HOV3+, and is designed to encourage carpooling and express buses on the lanes, it makes sense to spend toll money on carpooling programs and transit that will use the highway.

And bike and ped improvements can make it easier for people to use the transit that will use the highway. They can also divert people from cars that congest the highway.

At least in NoVa and DC, that has not prevented the gradual spread of pro biking policies.

So actual money, vs words (and there are plenty of other words they would use that have nothing to do with money, and there is public money for biking aside from this - and as Dave says, this is not a problem for motorists) I would take the money.

Especially if the funded improvements lead to more riders - more people who bike is more important to advancing biking politically than playing word games with AAA.